he Libertines are what England was waiting for, but unfortunately, the country fell in love with The Strokes first. Even though there may be a little game of catch up to play, The Libertines are definitely a band that has the balls and determination to do what it takes.

Lately, with new bands raising eyebrows, it hasn’t been about how original they sound, it’s been about how they sound like X-band or Y-band. Fresh, today, isn’t a sound never heard before, it’s something that reminds us of older bands that were great. The Libertines do sound like those older bands, a bunch of them, rolled into something new. Let’s see, The Jam’s rigid, Mod-punk pride is alive, as is The Kinks brand of astute, proper Englishness with sharp pop hooks are both in attendance here. And there has to be a certain amount of sleaze, because singers Pete Doherty and Carl Barat have the lovely slur of Sid Vicious when they’ve had a bad night of drinking.

And while they have the sound down, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the songs. Mysteriously omitted was the trend setting debut single, “What A Waster”. A song that captured a catch phrase at its best, the song would have helped give Up The Bracketanother kick in the pants. However, the extremely catchy b-side to the single, “I Get Along”, is thankfully present. Latest single, “Up The Bracket”, their finest moment to date, begins with one of the most vile snarls caught on tape. This song could easily be mistaken for a long lost single by The Jam, minus the small bit of fuzz on the guitars. And “Time For Heroes”, well, it’s a slight departure, yet the Smiths-like piece of misplaced elegant pop shows they can easily shed the grubby skin they usually show off.

There are a few stinkers here, like the sloppy “The Boy Looked At Johnny”, which sounds like it may have been written with a gun to their heads. “Radio America”, as well, is a bit dodgy. The band’s attempt to try and display their softer, acoustic side doesn’t quite come off as well as it could have. Note to the band: These are what b-sides are for.

This young, London four-piece has everything on their side to make them a Brit hit, and enough to make them catch eyes in other places. Consistency is their only weakness, because the best songs on here (which make up ¾ of the album) are really fucking good. It’s a safe bet that this album may have been rushed a tad, but it’s also a safe bet that next time around, if they have the time to perfect their songs, a classic will be recorded.